The subject invention is directed toward the art of dispatcher activated response identification systems and, more particularly, to a microprocessor controlled dispatcher activated response identification system that is adapted to be responsive exclusively to tone sequences, dual tone signals or modem signals transmitted via standard telephone lines in one embodiment and, in an alternative embodiment, to be responsive exclusively to radio frequency signals transmitted from a remote dispatcher location.
The invention is particularly useful when used in connection with emergency services personnel such as "9-1-1" operators or dispatchers and will be described with particular reference thereto; however, the invention is capable of broader application and could be used in many other environments including anywhere responding personnel are dispatched from a central location to homes or business establishments within a community such as, for example, by security alarm companies, home monitoring groups, ambulance or health care services, or the like.
It is a well-know and common complaint of rescue workers that they cannot quickly identify the location of an emergency to which they have been dispatched. Although many communities have installed what is called "enhanced 9-1-1" service in which the address of the emergency caller's location is presented on a display unit at a central remote dispatcher's console, this enhanced service is not universally available. Further, it does not completely solve the problems faced by the dispatched responding personnel who must quickly find the specific location, which may be difficult even when address information is immediately available. In addition, in new housing developments or where new homes are built in previously uninhabited regions, the street names and addresses are not always updated in the records of the police and fire departments or in the files of governmental agencies or commercial home alarm services. In those cases, the location of the caller in need of emergency services or other quick response is not readily ascertainable.
Some of the problems identified above have been previously recognized by prior inventors who have offered their solutions in the form of published patents and commercial products. It is already known to combine a basic house address display device with an emergency flashing light such as shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,611,265 issued to Davis in 1986. The Davis device uses an address display system in which the house numerals are disposed on a translucent wall of a housing illuminated from within by a conventional incandescent bulb. A flashing emergency light is also disposed within the housing. The emergency light may be actuated by the occupant from a remote switch within the residence to warn passers-by of the need for assistance. Generally similar to the Davis device, U.S. Pat. No. 4,587,753 issued in 1986 to Harper provides a device that includes an indicia display system that flashes a red light to warn of an emergency occurrence within individual houses.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,993,058 issued in 1991 to McMinn teaches an alarm signaling system responsive to outgoing calls that are placed to a predetermined number sequence, preferably, "9-1-1", made on a telephone line of a residence whereby, once triggered, the alarm system remains activated whether or not the telephone is placed in an on-hook condition and until a reset number sequence is dialed. The alarm system remains activated while additional calls are placed on the same telephone and until a reset number sequence is dialed. A test number sequence may be dialed to set the system in the alarm state without actually placing an emergency call.
It will be seen below that the present invention provides improvements over other previous inventions in many ways. In particular, the system of the present invention is capable of being placed in an active or alarm state only by the "9-1-1" dispatcher, emergency services dispatcher, security alarm company dispatchers, or other dispatchers having a suitable dual tone (DTMF) generator, tone sequence generator, or modem signal generator in one embodiment, or having a radio frequency signal generator in another embodiment. The apparatus of the present invention includes a visual indicia, preferably a stroboscopic light emitting diode, that is activated remotely exclusively by a signal sent by an emergency or security dispatcher. In use, the dispatcher activates the visual indicia only when the appropriate responding personnel are dispatched, thereby eliminating the potential for misuse of the device. In addition, suppliers of other emergency or alarm systems that dispatch response teams and who are accessed by calls to a telephone number other than "9-1-1" can also control the visual locating indicia herein described because the present invention includes a programmable microprocessor control circuit that is programmable to selectively respond to a wide variety of tone signals, sequences of tone signals, modem signals or radio frequency signals.
The stroboscopic light emitting diode comprising the visual locating indicia is preferably placed in the front window of a residence or attached to an exterior surface of the structure such as, for example, beneath a doorbell, adjacent an address placard on the building, or elsewhere. Alternatively, the light can be attached physically apart from the structure such as on a utility pole or on other support structures located in the yard of the residence or commercial building.
Misuse of any of the aforementioned prior art alarm systems may result from subscribers who activate the alarm system to aid a delivery person find the proper house to which to make a delivery, and by "9-1-1" calls for non-emergency situations. To prevent such misuse, the present invention is responsive exclusively to predefined special signals that can originate only from dispatchers. Only the dispatchers are provided with the ability to generate the special signals that are required. As such, the instant device does not permit activation of the visual locating signal by inadvertent or non-essential calls to dispatchers. In the present invention, the caller does not have the ability to activate the system. Rather, the decision to activate the visual locating indicia is made exclusively by the dispatcher.
Using the McMinn system, when multiple calls from callers at various locations are made to "9-1-1" to report an emergency condition, each caller's emergency locator system is activated at least momentarily, creating the potential for the responding emergency team to become confused as to the exact location of the emergency. In contrast to McMinn as described above, using the system of the present invention, only the dispatcher has the ability to activate the building identification signal at his or her discretion and further, would elect to activate such signal at only one single location identified as the exact location of the emergency or security breach.
Some prior response identification systems are powered entirely by voltage that is present on the telephone line. Others rely entirely on the electric power service existing in the commercial structure or private residence. In many situations, the electric power systems in buildings become disrupted or otherwise damaged by the emergency or alarm condition that exists within the structure. Similarly, in systems that are powered by the telephone line, service may be disrupted thereto causing device failure. The preferred embodiment of the present invention is powered the electric service connection existing in the structure and also includes auxiliary rechargeable batteries that receive a continuous replenish charge from the electric power grid within the structure. The rechargeable batteries serve as a back-up when the electric power in the building becomes disrupted. At such times, the rechargeable batteries provide a ready source of energy to enable activation of the microprocessor and ancillary circuits comprising the subject dispatcher activated response identification device of the invention. In an alternative embodiment, the batteries are recharged by the telephone service line and in still yet other alternatives, the device of the subject invention is powered by the electric or telephone service line without rechargeable battery back-up.
For the above and other reasons, it is desirable to provide a dispatcher activated response identification system that is activated exclusively by dispatchers that have the ability to generate a dual tone (DTMF) signal, multiple tones in sequence or in combination, or appropriate modem signals that are sent over the telephone line to selectively activate visual locating indicia disposed at the caller's location to enable responding personnel to easily find the caller. It is further desirable to provide a dispatcher activated response identification system that is activated exclusively by dispatchers that have the ability to generate radio frequency signals that are sent through the air to selectively activate visual locating indicia disposed at the caller's location to enable responding personnel to easily find the caller. It is intended that the dispatcher activate the visual indicia by sending the appropriate signal only upon the dispatching of response personnel to attend to the emergency or other condition or need that exists or is reported to exist by the caller.
It is further desirable to provide a dispatcher activated response identification system that includes a telephone interface and a microprocessor circuit to enable the system to receive, decode, and respond to the dual tone (DTMF) signals, multiple tones in sequence or in combination, or appropriate modem signals that are sent over the telephone line by the dispatcher. It is also further desirable to provide a dispatcher activated response identification system that includes a radio frequency interface and a microprocessor circuit to enable the system to receive, decode, and respond to the radio frequency signals that are sent through the air by the dispatcher.
It would also be desirable to provide a dispatcher activated response identification system that is powered by rechargeable batteries connected to the electric utility power system within a dwelling or commercial building. The batteries would provide power to the system in the event of catastrophic failure of the power grid. As an alternative, the response identification system could be connected to the telephone service line so that the batteries could be recharged using the voltage signals provided thereon. In still yet another alternative, the subject response identification system could be connected directly to the electric utility line or to the telephone service line.
It would further be desirable to provide the response identification system with a low battery indicator that generates a signal when the charge level on the batteries drop below a predetermined threshold. In that way, the batteries could be replaced, recharged, or otherwise serviced as necessary but before the charge level drops below a level that would render the system inoperative.
It would also be desirable to provide the response identification system with a visual indicia time out function so that the visual indicia becomes de-energized after a predetermined time period after it is enabled. Preferably, the predetermined time period is programmable. As an alternative, it would be desirable to provide the response identification system with the ability for the visual indicia, once energized, to be extinguished by dispatcher remotely by sending the appropriate signal to the system from the dispatcher's location to the caller's location. As yet another alternative, it would be desirable to provide the response identification system with the ability for the visual indicia, once energized, to be extinguished by the responding personnel after they reach the caller's location.